Obscure bird grasshopper
Females of this grasshopper grow far larger than males, and its strong, far-carrying flight has been compared to a small bird taking off.
| Where | Fields, open woodlands and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 36 to 70 mm body length |
| When | June to November |
Adults have an olive-green body that contrasts sharply with darker, reddish-brown to gray forewings, plus a bright yellow stripe running down the back and a pale spot on each dark hind knee.
Mating happens in autumn, and females use their ovipositor to lay eggs in the soil, which overwinter and hatch the following spring; nymphs molt repeatedly before reaching adult size by mid to late summer, then die off with the first hard frosts.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Green, Brown, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; it may chew garden plants when abundant but does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The American bird grasshopper is a more uniform yellow-brown with pale, brown-spotted wings, lacking the sharp contrast between the Obscure bird grasshopper's greenish body and its darker forewings.
Questions
Is the Obscure bird grasshopper dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; it may chew garden plants when abundant but does not bite or sting.
When can you see the Obscure bird grasshopper?
The Obscure bird grasshopper can be seen from June to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by ashleyrsteel, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Crickets and grasshoppers›Grasshoppers›Schistocerca
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.